Family of 16-year-old drowning victim unveil safety throwline
Tyler Wilson drowned in the River Calder in Castleford last May
The family and friends of a 16-year-old drowning victim have paid tribute to him by unveiling a safety throwline in Castleford in his memory.
Tyler Wilson died last May after getting into difficulty in the River Calder. He’d gone there with his friends after school during the warm weather and was one of three young people to drown in Yorkshire that day.
Money for the throwline was partly raised by Sam's Army Mission, a charity started by Simon Haycock in memory of his son Sam who drowned in Rotherham’s Ulley Reservoir in 2021.
Simon told us it’s painful every time he hears about another young person drowning:
“Sadly, with the nature of work we’re doing now, I get to hear about it a lot. And every single time it’s another stab in the heart. It just drives me even more.
“For every one that happens, I think of the thousands of children that I’ve been in front of in schools…how many have listened? That’s the positive side of it that you’ve got to take.
“I know certain children I’ve spoken to, I’ve had feedback that it’s made them change their views and reconsider certain decisions, so it is working.”
West Yorkshire Fire service were also there for the unveiling of the throwline, including members of the crew who responded when Tyler drowned.
“Just don’t go in the water,” says Station Manager Jimmy Fitt.
“We’ve now got so many tragic examples of where young people have gone in the water on nice hot days in the summer, but it’s so cold, that cold water shock takes over the body so quickly.”
As we head towards the summer months, Simon wants young people to understand the dangers:
“Especially on years like this year where the weather’s been rubbish, then we’ll get a hot spell and they’ll think ‘hooray, we can get out, we can do things’… it’s just not worth it.
“There are other places you can go and other things you can be doing without putting your life at risk.
“This can happen to anybody. Sam’s favourite saying was ‘it won’t happen to me’.
“Well it did. And it can happen to you.”